Grain-drying process



Patented May 10, 1921.

G. F. BROWN.

GRAIN DRYING PROCESS.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAY 26,!9l6.

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GEORGE E. BROWN, 03 MOORHEAD, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL PATENT INVESTMENT COMPANY, OF FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA, AOORPORATION OF NORTH DAKOTA.

Application filed May 26, 1916.

T 0 all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE F. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at lvioorhead, in the county of Clay and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Drying Processes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such. as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is a method and apparatus for dr in and ventilatin rain confined 3 s g D within a closed bin, storehouse, and the like. Immense losses occur annually, due to the improper ventilation of stored grain, especially where the grain has been placed in a storehouse in a dampened condition, such losses being frequently due to the formation of gas, mold, and other deteriorating causes. This invention includes an apparatus wherein a closed storehouse or metallic bin is provided with a plurality of foraminous tubes having means of communication with air exterior of the bin, the tubes extending into a chamber formed at the roof of the structure. The roof may be provided with. a vent which leads to the chamber.

The method of ventilating the grain utilizes the aforesaid construction wherein the grain is placed into the bin up to a level less than the height of the foraminous tubes and below the chamber of the roof of the structure. The roof'is preferably of some material such as sheet metal which may be readily heated and which will thereby heat the air confined within the chamber. By heating the roof of the structure, the air of the chamber in contact with the roof will be heated and expanded, after which the expanded air will be forced into the tubes or the upper end of one of the tubes until the air finds its way out through the roof vent. After the air starts to pass through the vent the movement of the heated air from the chamber will serve to suck air up through the tubes from the interior of the bin, and from the base thereof, starting a circulation of air through the bin. Atmospheric air is admitted to the bin at the base thereof, and may be conducted directly to the base of the foraminous tubes. By the constant circulation of air through the tubes and through the grain surrounding the forminous tubes, the grain will be aerated and GRAIN -DRYING EROCESS.

Specification of Letters Patent. F Patentgd Biay 10, 11321,

Serial No. 100,045.

paratus which will carry out the process,

and wherein 'Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a grain bin disclosing a plurality of foraminous tubes, showing means to conduct air from the exterior of the bin to the tubes, and means to permit the air, which may become heated in the bin, to escape through the roof thereof. I I

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a plurality of spaced tubes and means to connect the same, whereby the tubes maybe supplied with air from the exterior of the bin.

Referring more particularly to the structure disclosed in the accompanying drawings, the bin is shown as a metallic structure having a side wall 1, a floor 2, and a substantially conical roof 3. The central portion of the roof 3 is provided with an aperture through which is passed a suitable vent apparatus indicated at a, said roof vent 4 being shown provided with a protection plate 5, suitably spaced at vay from the roof 3, to permit of the passage of air out of the bin through the vent.

Within the bin there is shown a plurality of foraminous tubes, vertically positioned, said tubes being indicated at 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. The tube 10 is shown positioned centrally of the bin and extends from the floor 2 up to and in contact with the vent device 4:. The remaining tubes, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are arranged around the central tubes 10, and are mounted vertically in the bin, so that one end of each tube rests upon the floor 2, while the opposite end extends into close proximity with the roof, but not in contact therewith. The upper ends of these tubes may be closed, if found desirable, by any suitable means, not disclosed in the drawings, but it is preferred to have them open at the top. The tubes are shown provided with a series of perforations indicated at 11, and these perforations may extend from the base clear to the top of the tubes,

if found desirable. It is obvious that the tubes may be constructed in a manner other than that illustrated in the drawings. These perforations 11 are preferably of a diameter smaller than the grain to be stored in the bin, to prevent the grain from flowing through the perforations and filling the tubes. lVhile five tubes are disclosed in the drawings, itis obvious that any desired number may be employed to accomplish the proper ventilation of the grain bin, and the conduction of gases and moisture away from the stored grain.

It is desired to admit air to the base of the foraminous tubes. This may be accomplished by any suitable means, but the air admission means is disclosed as a pipe 12 leading to the exterior of the grain bin at the base thereof, the pipe resting substantially upon the floor 2 of the bin. This pipe 12 is shown leading to the first tube 6, from which a section 13 extends to conduct air so admitted from tube 6 to tube 7. Another section 1a is shown connecting tube 7 with tube 8; while section 15 is shown connecting tube 8 with tube 9, and section 16 is shown connecting tube 9 with the central tube 10. It is obvious that other means of connection may be employed if found desirable, the object being to introduce air from the exterior of the bin to the various short tubes before the air is conducted to the long central tube 10.

In operation, the bin may be filled with grain up to the top edge indicated at 17 of the side wall 1, leaving the space between tlnls top edge 17 and the roof as an air chamber. The air trapped in this chamber may be heated artificially by heating plates forming the roof 3 of the bin, or may be heated by the suns rays, such heating of the roof operating to heat the air in the chamber at the upper portion of the bin, causing the air to expand. The air having expanded must find an avenue of escape and in so doing enters the central tube 1.0. As this tube is connected with the vent 4, the heated expanded air will rise through the tube and pass out of the vent to the exterior of the bin, thereby starting a flow of air in an upward direction which will create a suction to draw air up to the space or chamber formerly occupied by the heated air. This suction is created not only in tube 10, but in other tubes 6, 7, 8 and 9, and there by starts a circulation of air upwardly to How into the space of the air chamber formed between the top of the grain and the roof of the bin. Should the grain be placed into the bin in a damp condition. it will give off an atmospheric gas or vapor which, if it has no chance to escape, will permit the grain to become heated and thereby destroy an edible commodity. By the circulation of air through the foraminous tubes, caused by the expansion of air in the roof chamber, and the suction in the tubes created by the passage of such expanded air from the chamber, this circulation of air will operate to draw fresh air from the exterior of the bin through the pipe 12 into the foraminous tube 6 and thence through the remaining pipes 13, 14, 15 and 16 to the various connecting foraminous tubes to supplant the air drawn off from the top of the bin due to such expansion and suction hereinbefore referred to. The passage of air through these tubes will also aerate the grain which is packed around the various foraminous tubes, the air escaping from the tubes into the grain finding its way to the air chamber near the roof of the bin. The air passing through the grain and the tubes serves to carry off the moisture and gas retained in the grain, and to thoroughly dry the grain stored in the bin. By this process, the grain if placed in the bin in a damp condition can be thoroughly dried, even the grain which is in contact with the floor of the bin can be properly dried and prevented from becoming in a condition such as would not render it edible. In some forms of devices, it has been found advisable to employ an intake ipe 12 and the conductor pipes 13, l t, 15 and 16 of a diameter less than the diameter of the foraminous tubes 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, and in one practical embodiment of the invention it has been found desirable to make the intake pipe about one-half the diameter of the foraminous tubes. It is obvious that changes in the proportion of parts may be made to accomplishthe specific object found necessary in particular types of bins for the storing of grain, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the right is reserved to make such changes and alterations in the apparatus and the method herein disclosed as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A grain ventilating apparatus including a bin for a mass of grain having a roof constituting an air chamber in the upper part of said bin, in combination with a perforated tube extending through the bin to an outlet in said roof, and having communication by means of its perforations with the interstices of the grain and said air chamber, and additional perforated air tubes extending through said bin and terminating in said air chamber.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

GEORGE F. BROWN. 

